1. Glucorticoids, Diabetes and Hepatic Glucose Production
It has been known for more than half a century that glucocorticoids have a central role in diabetes, e.g. the removal of the pituitary or the adrenal gland from a diabetic animal alleviates the most severe symptoms of diabetes and lowers the concentration of glucose in the blood (Long, C. D. and F. D. W. Leukins (1936) J. Exp. Med. 63: 465–490; Houssay, B. A. (1942) Endocrinology 30: 884–892). It is also well established that glucocorticoids enable the effect of glucagon on the liver.
The role of 11βHSD1 as an important regulator of local glucocorticoid effect and thus of hepatic glucose production is well substantiated (see e.g. Jamieson et al. (2000) J. Endocrinol. 165: p. 685–692). The hepatic insulin sensitivity was improved in healthy human volunteers treated with the non-specific 11βHSD1 inhibitor carbenoxolone (Walker, B. R. et al. (1995) J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 80: 3155–3159). Furthermore, the expected mechanism has been established by different experiments with mice and rats. These studies showed that the mRNA levels and activities of two key enzymes in hepatic glucose production were reduced, namely: the rate-limiting enzyme in gluconeogenesis, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) catalyzing the last common step of gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis. Finally, the blood glucose level and hepatic glucose production is reduced in mice having the 11βHSD1 gene knocked-out. Data from this model also confirm that inhibition of 11βHSD1 will not cause hypoglycemia, as predicted since the basal levels of PEPCK and G6Pase are regulated independently of glucocorticoids (Kotelevtsev, Y. et al., (1997) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94: 14924–14929).
FR 2,384,498 discloses compounds having a high hypoglycemic effect. Therefore, treatment of hyperglycemia with these compounds may lead to hypoglycemia.
2. Possible Reduction of Obesity and Obesity Related Cardiovascular Risk Factors
Obesity is an important factor in syndrome X as well as in the majority (>80%) of type 2 diabetic, and omental fat appears to be of central importance. Abdominal obesity is closely associated with glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and other factors of the so-called syndrome X (e.g. raised blood pressure, decreased levels of HDL and increased levels of VLDL) (Montague & O'Rahilly, Diabetes 49: 883–888, 2000). Inhibition of the enzyme in pre-adipocytes (stromal cells) has been shown to decrease the rate of differentiation into adipocytes. This is predicted to result in diminished expansion (possibly reduction) of the omental fat depot, i.e. reduced central obesity (Bujalska, I. J., S. Kumar, and P. M. Stewart (1997) Lancet 349: 1210–1213).
Inhibition of 11βHSD1 in mature adipocytes is expected to attenuate secretion of the plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1)—an independent cardiovascular risk factor (Halleux, C. M. et al. (1999) J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 84: 4097–4105). Furthermore, there is a clear correlation between glucocorticoid “activity” and cardiovascular risk factore suggesting that a reduction of the glucocorticoid effects would be beneficial (Walker, B. R. et al. (1998) Hypertension 31: 891–895; Fraser, R. et al. (1999) Hypertension 33: 1364–1368).
Adrenalectomy attenuates the effect of fasting to increase both food intake and hypothalamic neuropeptide Y expression. This supports the role of glucocorticoids in promoting food intake and suggests that inhibition of 11βHSD1 in the brain might increase satiety and therefore reduce food intake (Woods, S. C. et al. (1998) Science, 280: 1378–1383).
3. Possible Beneficial Effect on the Pancreas
Inhibition of 11βHSD1 in isolated murine pancreatic β-cells improves the glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (Davani, B. et al. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 2000 Nov. 10; 275(45): 34841–4). Glucocorticoids were previously known to reduce pancreatic insulin release in vivo (Billaudel, B. and B. C. J. Sutter (1979) Horm. Metab. Res. 11: 555–560). Thus, inhibition of 11βHSD1 is predicted to yield other beneficial effects for diabetes treatment, besides effects on liver and fat.
4. Possible Beneficial Effects on Cognition and Dementia
Stress and glucocorticoids influence cognitive function (de Quervain, D. J. -F., B. Roozendaal, and J. L. McGaugh (1998) Nature 394: 787–790). The enzyme 11βHSD1 controls the level of glucocorticoid action in the brain and thus contributes to neurotoxicity (Rajan, V., C. R. W. Edwards, and J. R. Seckl, J. (1996) Neuroscience 16: 65–70; Seckl, J. R., Front. (2000) Neuroendocrinol. 18: 49–99). Unpublished results indicate significant memory improvement in rats treated with a non-specific 11βHSD1 inhibitor (J. Seckl, personal communication). Based the above and on the known effects of glucocorticoids in the brain, it may also be suggested that inhibiting 11βHSD1 in the brain may result in reduced anxiety (Tronche, F. et al. (1999) Nature Genetics 23: 99–103). Thus, taken together, the hypothesis is that inhibition of 11βHSD1 in the human brain would prevent reactivation of cortisone into cortisol and protect against deleterious glucocorticoid-mediated effects on neuronal survival and other aspects of neuronal function, including cognitive impairment, depression, and increased appetite (previous section).
WO 99/02502 discloses 5HT6 receptor antagonists for the treatment of CNS disorders. Such antagonists of thiazole structure differ from the compounds according to the present invention in that the former have an aryl group in 4-position. Furthermore, nothing is said about the activity on 11βHSD1.
5. Possible Use of Immuno-modulation Using 11βHSD1 Inhibitors
The general perception is that glucocorticoids suppress the immune system. But in fact there is a dynamic interaction between the immune system and the HPA (hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal) axis (Rook, G. A. W. (1999) Baillièr's Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 13: 576–581). The balance between the cell-mediated response and humoral responses is modulated by glucocorticoids. A high glucocorticoid activity, such as at a state of stress, is associated with a humoral response. Thus, inhibition of the enzyme 11βHSD1 has been suggested as a means of shifting the response towards a cell-based reaction.
In certain disease states, including tuberculosis, lepra and psoriasis the immune reaction is normaly biased towards a humoral response when in fact the appropriate response would be cell based. Temporal inhibition of 11βHSD1, local or systemic, might be used to push the immune system into the appropriate response (Mason, D. (1991) Immunology Today 12: 57–60; Rook et al., supra).
An analogous use of 11βHSD1 inhibition, in this case temporal, would be to booster the immune response in association with immunization to ensure that a cell based response would be obtained, when desired.
6. Reduction of Intraocular Pressure
Recent data suggest that the levels of the glucocorticoid target receptors and the 11βHSD enzymes determines the susceptibility to glaucoma (Stokes, J. et al. (2000) Invest. Ophthalmol. 41: 1629–1638). Further, inhibition of 11βHSD1 was recently presented as a novel approach to lower the intraocular pressure (Walker E. A. et al, poster P3-698 at the Endocrine society meeting Jun. 12–15, 1999, San Diego). Ingestion of carbenoxolone, a non-specific inhibitor of 11βHSD1, was shown to reduce the intraocular pressure by 20% in normal subjects. In the eye, expression of 11βHSD1 is confined to basal cells of the corneal epithelium and the non-pigmented epithelialium of the cornea (the site of aqueous production), to ciliary muscle and to the sphincter and dilator muscles of the iris. In contrast, the distant isoenzyme 11βHSD2 is highly expressed in the non-pigmented ciliary epithelium and corneal endothelium. None of the enzymes is found at the trabecular meshwork, the site of drainage. Thus, 11βHSD1 is suggested to have a role in aqueous production, rather than drainage, but it is presently unknown if this is by interfering with activation of the glucocorticoid or the mineralocorticoid receptor, or both.
7. Reduced Osteoporosis
Glucocorticoids have an essential role in skeletal development and function but are detrimental in excess. Glucocorticoid-induced bone loss is derived, at least in part, via inhibition of bone formation, which includes suppression of osteoblast proliferation and collagen synthesis (Kim, C. H., S. L. Cheng, and G. S. Kim (1999) J. Endocrinol. 162: 371–379). The negative effect on bone nodule formation could be blocked by the non-specific inhibitor carbenoxolone suggesting an important role of 11βHSD1 in the glucocorticoid effect (Bellows, C. G., A. Ciaccia, and J. N. M. Heersche, (1998) Bone 23: 119–125). Other data suggest a role of 11βHSD1 in providing sufficiently high levels of active glucocorticoid in osteoclasts, and thus in augmenting bone resorption (Cooper, M. S. et al. (2000) Bone 27: 375–381). Taken together, these different data suggest that inhibition of 11βHSD1 may have beneficial effects against osteoporosis by more than one mechanism working in parallel.
8. Reduction of Hypertension
Bile acids inhibit 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2. This results in a shift in the overall body balance in favour of cortisol over cortisone, as shown by studying the ratio of the urinary metabolites (Quattropani C, Vogt B, Odermatt A, Dick B, Frey BM, Frey F J. 2001. J Clin Invest. November;108(9):1299–305. “Reduced activity of 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in patients with cholestasis”.). Reducing the activity of 11βHSD1 in the liver by a selective inhibitor is predicted to reverse this imbalance, and acutely counter the symptoms such as hypertension, while awaiting surgical treatment removing the biliary obstruction.
WO 99/65884 discloses carbon substituted aminothiazole inhibitors of cyclin dependent kinases. These compounds may e.g. be used against cancer, inflammation and arthritis. U.S. Pat. No. 5,856,347 discloses an antibacterial preparation or bactericide comprising 2-aminothiazole derivative and/or salt thereof. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,857 discloses benzenesulfonamide derivatives having 5-lipoxygenase inhibitory activity. Additionally, tetrahydrothiazolo[5,4-c]pyridines are disclosed in: Analgesic tetrahydrothiazolo[5,4-c]pyridines. Fr. Addn. (1969), 18 pp, Addn. to Fr. 1498465. CODEN: FAXXA3; FR 94123 19690704 CAN 72:100685 AN 1970:100685 CAPLUS and 4,5,6,7-Tetrahydrothiazolo[5,4-c]pyridines. Neth. Appl. (1967), 39 pp. CODEN: NAXXAN NL 6610324 19670124 CAN 68:49593, AN 1968: 49593 CAPLUS. However, none of the above disclosures discloses the compounds according to the present invention, or their use for the treatment of diabetes, obesity, glaucoma, osteoporosis, cognitive disorders, immune disorders, depression, and hypertension.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,594,021 and 6,030,991 disclose compounds inhibiting the binding of an endothelin peptide to an endothelin receptor. Such compounds of thiazole structure differ from the compounds according to the present invention in that the former are unsubstituted in both 4- and 5-position. Furthermore, nothing is said about the activity on 11βHSD1.
WO 01/54691 discloses thiazole compounds as antimicrobial agents. Only the antibacterial effect of such compounds has been shown in the pharmacological examples. These compounds differ from the compounds according to the present invention in that the former either are unsubstituted in 5-position or have a free amino group in 2-position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,783,597 discloses thiophene derivatives as inhibitors of PGE2 and LTB4. Nothing is said about the activity on 11βHSD1.
Consequently, there is a need of new compounds that are useful in the treatment of diabetes, obesity, glaucoma, osteoporosis, cognitive disorders, immune disorders, depression, and hypertension.